On November 24, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that could fundamentally reshape U.S. policy toward the Muslim Brotherhood, a political and religious movement with a complicated legacy across the Middle East. The order, signed at the White House, tasks federal agencies with a formal review to determine whether specific chapters of the Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs), according to multiple reports including Reuters and The Wall Street Journal.
The directive, which sets a clear timeline for action, requires the Secretary of State and the Treasury Secretary to submit a joint report within 30 days identifying Brotherhood chapters that might merit designation. After that, relevant agencies have 45 days to take further steps under U.S. terrorism laws, such as the Immigration and Nationality Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In total, the process could see final determinations made by early January 2026.
According to the White House, the order prohibits financial transactions with any Brotherhood chapters that are designated, aiming to cut off their funding and dismantle their operational capabilities. The administration frames the Brotherhood as a "transnational network" that supports or facilitates violence across the Middle East, threatening U.S. interests and regional allies. The order specifically alleges that the Lebanese chapter contributed to rocket attacks against Israel during the October 7, 2023 events, acting alongside Hamas and Hezbollah. Egyptian Brotherhood leaders are accused of encouraging violence against U.S. partners, while the Jordanian chapter is charged with providing long-standing material support to Hamas’s militant wing.
"President Trump is combating the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels campaigns of terror and instability against U.S. interests and our allies in the Middle East," the White House said in a statement shared by Harici. The administration has made clear that the policy aims to collaborate with regional partners to "deprive those chapters of resources" and eliminate risks to U.S. citizens and national security.
Trump’s move comes on the heels of similar action at the state level. Just a week prior, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation naming the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. As reported by The Dallas Express, Abbott’s order also prohibits these groups from acquiring real property interests in Texas. Abbott stated, "The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world.’ These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas."
This state-level move has already sparked legal challenges. The Muslim Legal Fund of America and the CAIR Legal Defense Fund have filed lawsuits against Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, calling the proclamation "defamatory and [finding] no basis in law or fact." CAIR, for its part, responded to allegations about its international ties by pointing out that its director registered an account while visiting family in Istanbul, dismissing the claim as a "major terrorist conspiracy." The organization has vowed to fight the designation in court.
Trump’s executive order is the most detailed framework yet for evaluating Brotherhood chapters individually, a significant departure from previous U.S. policy. During the Obama administration, the U.S. engaged with the Brotherhood as part of its outreach to new political actors after the Egyptian revolution. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor told POLITICO that the U.S. "expanded its relationships to include new and emerging political parties and actors" at that time. In contrast, Trump’s administration has taken a much harder line, with the president vowing, "It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms. Final documents are being drawn."
The executive order also requires consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence before any designations are made, ensuring that the process meets legal criteria under federal statutes. If the designations go through, the consequences will be significant: the groups would have their U.S. assets frozen, supporting them would become a criminal act, and members could be banned from entering the United States.
Not everyone is satisfied with the administration’s approach. Right-wing commentators such as Laura Loomer have criticized the order for not going far enough. Loomer, on social media, lamented, "This was very disappointing. This designation might be the weakest one we could get for the Muslim Brotherhood." She and other conservative voices have pushed for a blanket designation of the entire organization, not just select chapters. Some have even accused the White House of bowing to outside influences, such as Qatar, which has been linked to the group in the past.
Meanwhile, some think tanks and advocacy groups have welcomed Trump’s move. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a conservative-leaning organization, described the Brotherhood as "a gateway to terrorism, instilling in its members religious doctrines and hatred that justify violence." Dr. Charles Asher Small, director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), argued that the Brotherhood is "50 years into its 100-year plan to embed itself in key institutions in the U.S. and other Western societies to weaken and destroy our democracy."
However, the Muslim Brotherhood itself has rejected such characterizations. In the past, the group has described its work as "advocating for moderate and peaceful thought in what we believe to be right, for honest and constructive cooperation, and to serve the communities we live in and humanity." The Brotherhood’s legal and political status varies widely across the Middle East. It is outlawed in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and most recently Jordan, where the group was banned in April 2025 following arrests related to planned rocket and drone attacks.
Trump’s order is part of a broader counterterrorism strategy. The administration has previously designated the Houthis and several major drug cartels—including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua—as terrorist organizations. These efforts have included aggressive deportations, restrictions on entry from countries with terrorism histories, and even authorizing strikes against narcoterrorists to combat drug trafficking.
As the 45-day review period gets underway, U.S. agencies will be under pressure to balance national security imperatives with legal standards and diplomatic realities. The move has already stirred debate in Washington and beyond, with supporters and critics alike watching closely to see which Brotherhood chapters—if any—will ultimately face the full weight of U.S. counterterrorism laws.
The coming weeks will test the administration’s resolve and the legal durability of its approach. For now, Trump’s executive order has reignited a fierce debate over how best to confront political Islam, balance civil liberties, and protect U.S. interests at home and abroad.
